[Trade] Leafs trade Spaling/Polak to SJ for two 2nd rd picks

[Hockey Fan #751]

Originally Posted by BigTuna

Terrific move by Lou (I thought he was done?) 2 second rounders for that?

It's getting to the point the Leafs have too many picks and might need to combine some to move-up in the draft. You can only have 50 contracts.

A smart GM will acquire draft picks at the trade deadline when picks are valued the least and then move the picks for players at the draft when draft picks are valued the most.

This is what Treliving did last year (Glencross/Hamilton) and I fully expect Lou to do the same with these picks.

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Originally Posted by Oling_Roachinen

In what way?

Trading a long-term, high value contract of their captain certainly follows. If anything, that could be argued was a necessity to go for Stamkos.

Trading Shawn Matthias and Roman Polak has no bearing on Stamkos. UFA depth players being traded by a team with no chance at the playoffs, nothing new.

He may mean that why would Stamkos go to a team this has just started a complete tear down rebuild? Does Stamkos not want to compete for a cup? The Leafs look to be one of the worst teams in the league again next year.

[saillias]

Originally Posted by Flames Draft Watcher

He may mean that why would Stamkos go to a team this has just started a complete tear down rebuild? Does Stamkos not want to compete for a cup? The Leafs look to be one of the worst teams in the league again next year.

B-b-but twitter likes and he could be King of it All!

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Oling_Roachinen

In what way?

Trading a long-term, high value contract of their captain certainly follows. If anything, that could be argued was a necessity to go for Stamkos.

Trading Shawn Matthias and Roman Polak has no bearing on Stamkos. UFA depth players being traded by a team with no chance at the playoffs, nothing new.

Originally Posted by Street Pharmacist

??? There's a whole offseason yet. Holding on to UFAs has no bearing on what their plans are next year

Hey, I just report what's being said (Eric Duhatschek was one who said it for sure). Basically the notion is that the timeline for the picks and prospects being acquired to be good and Stamkos' window of continued quality play don't match up. So, sure they've got their cap down to where they could get him, but he'd be the only good player on a crappy team, and by the time the good picks come along, he'd be done, so it'd be a waste of time and money.

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Hey, I just report what's being said (Eric Duhatschek was one who said it for sure). Basically the notion is that the timeline for the picks and prospects being acquired to be good and Stamkos' window of continued quality play don't match up. So, sure they've got their cap down to where they could get him, but he'd be the only good player on a crappy team, and by the time the good picks come along, he'd be done, so it'd be a waste of time and money.

Then I disagree with Eric. Stamkos is 26, and has at least 7 good years left. That's plenty of time with a new core. An extremely hard working, competitive, elite player to mentor Matthews, Laine, Pulujarvi, Nylander, etc? They'll be all over that

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Street Pharmacist

Then I disagree with Eric. Stamkos is 26, and has at least 7 good years left. That's plenty of time with a new core. An extremely hard working, competitive, elite player to mentor Matthews, Laine, Pulujarvi, Nylander, etc? They'll be all over that

Part of it might be that he figures Stamkos will re-sign and he wants to be right about that.

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Don't recall a superstar ever choosing to sign with one of the worst 2 teams in the league.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Flames Draft Watcher

Don't recall a superstar ever choosing to sign with one of the worst 2 teams in the league.

Agree. But in fairness, there haven't been too many 26 year old superstars in free agency to this point.

If he's 29, there's no way he signs with a rebuilding team. At his age, it is definitely more plausible.

[Parallex]

Originally Posted by Flames Draft Watcher

He may mean that why would Stamkos go to a team this has just started a complete tear down rebuild? Does Stamkos not want to compete for a cup?

I dunno...

JVR + Stamkos + Marner + Nylander + Top pick this year... that's most of your top six. Add in a couple complementary players in Kadri and Komerov and the forward ranks look like they could be very very good.

Now... their defense. Yuck. That will hold them back for a bit but I don't think they're on the path of Oiler-esq perpetual suck. Not so much that Stamkos couldn't realistically envision a cup anyways.